Abbeys & priories · South West England
Athelney Abbey
Athelney Abbey — abbey in Somerset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Westonzoyland · 3.6 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Athelney Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to AD 801. Heritage designation: part of a Scheduled Monument. Part of Anglo-Saxon occupation site and site of Athelney Abbey on Athelney Hill. Wikidata describes it as: "abbey in Somerset, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0593°, -2.9346°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: North Moor SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: SOMERSET WETLANDS
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Athelney Abbey, established in the county of Somerset, England, was founded by King Alfred in 888, as a religious house for monks of the Order of St. Benedict. It was dedicated to "Our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Egelwine".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Originally Athelney was a small island in swampland, in what is now the parish of East Lyng, covered with alders and infested by wild animals. It was inaccessible except by boat, according to William of Malmesbury. Here Alfred the Great found a refuge from the Danes; here he built the abbey. The dedication to St. Æthelwine suggests that it may have been an enlargement of a hermitage or monastery already in existence. He peopled it with foreign monks, drawn chiefly from France, with John the Old Saxon (known as Scotus) as their abbot. The original church was a small structure, consisting of four piers supporting the main fabric and surrounded by four circular chancels. The original charter…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0593, -2.9346
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Lyng
- Postcode
- TA7 0SD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bridgwater
- Established
- 888
- Nearest railway station
- Westonzoyland — 3.6 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q4813330 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Athelney Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: King Alfreds Monument.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Athelney Abbey?
- Athelney Abbey is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA7 0SD), in the parish of Lyng.
- When was Athelney Abbey built?
- Built or established in 888.
- Is Athelney Abbey a listed building?
- Athelney Abbey is officially recognised as part of a Scheduled Monument listed.
- Is Athelney Abbey a protected site?
- Yes — Athelney Abbey is part of the North Moor SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the SOMERSET WETLANDS National Nature Reserve.
- How do I get to Athelney Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Westonzoyland, about 3.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TA7 0SD.